Descendants of the original inhabitants of Munia Island in Vanuabalavu, Lau, are still struggling to reclaim their land, which was sold for $400 to an American over two centuries ago. Munia Island, measuring approximately 5.3 kilometers long with a coastline of 10 kilometers, was initially settled by the ancestors of the villagers on Avea Island.
The transfer of ownership occurred forcibly when Ratu Galea, the Tui Cakau at the time, sold the island to an American, driving away its original inhabitants. Currently, the village headman of Avea, Etuate Umu, revealed the challenges they face in repaying the government $450,000 to fully regain ownership of Munia. The government acquired the island in 1983 for $450,000 and sold it back to the Munia people.
Under the Land Buy Back Scheme agreement established in 1989, the Munia people were to repay the full amount over 30 years, with annual installments of $15,000. However, Mr. Umu shared that they were only able to pay $30,000 in the initial two years. Their requests for reduced payments led the government to lower the annual amount first to $7,000, and then to $3,000, but they still struggled to meet these obligations.
At 69, Mr. Umu noted that many villagers lack stable income, even from the copra industry, making it exceedingly difficult to fulfill their financial commitments. Over the 30 years, they managed to pay just $225,000.
Mr. Umu recounted how elders from Avea attended Mavana Primary School and relied on relatives in Mavana village for support. The village is located on the mainland of Vanuabalavu, about a 45-minute boat ride away. He lamented that the struggle to obtain education hindered their chances for better employment opportunities, making the repayment for their ancestral land feel like an overwhelming burden.
As the village headman for a third term, Mr. Umu is optimistic that they can pay the remaining $225,000 by December, with each of the four mataqali (clans) contributing $25,000. Each working individual from Avea living outside the island is expected to contribute $1,000, alongside potential support from a trust fund they have established.
Some villagers plan to relocate back to Munia once the payment is completed, while there are discussions about managing Munia as a State where residents from Avea would still work on the island. Upon full payment, the ownership would transfer to trustees representing the four mataqali in freehold status. If the trustees fail to complete payments, the agreement can be rescinded, and any money paid would be forfeited to the government.
The Freehold Buyback Scheme was initiated in 1989 to help repurchase ancestral lands that had been sold as freehold property. The 118 inhabitants of Avea Island are descendants of early migration waves from Vuna in Taveuni. Mr. Umu recounted how his ancestors originally settled on Munia before being displaced due to the land sale. His ancestors had moved across the island in search of a place to establish their village and ultimately settled on a piece of land called ‘Marama’.
In the 1860s, while residing on Munia, they returned to Wairiki in Taveuni to take part in tribal wars. The Tui Cakau at that time, Ratu Galea, sold the island despite the continued presence of some villagers. As the white settlers arrived, they frightened the inhabitants with gunfire, leading them to flee to the mainland. Eventually, they were assisted back to Avea Island.
Mr. Umu, born in 1955, recalled his childhood experiences working for the white settlers on Munia, who occupied the island until the 1970s. He noted that when ownership returned to them, the land was left desolate. Today, the voice of the Munia people on Avea can be heard through three local bands and their gospel group, reflecting their rich cultural heritage.